Dr. Chicora Martin serves as the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA.  Chicora provides leadership in the areas of student development, wellness, sense of belonging, social justice, and transformational learning experiences for Agnes Scott Scotties.   Before coming to Agnes Scott, Chicora was at Mills College in Oakland, CA as the Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students for seven years and at the University of Oregon for fourteen years serving as the Assistant Dean of Students, Director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Education and Support Services.

Chicora’s various leadership positions include Chair of the Board of Directors for NASPA, a organization committed to supporting the work of student affairs in the US and globally.  Chicora also served as co-chair for the National Consortium of LGBTQ Resource Professionals and member of the American College Personnel Association’s Standing Committee for LGBT Concerns. Chicora was honored as the 2015 ACPA Voice of Inclusion Medallion recipient and by the Consortium of LGBT Resource Professionals as the 2014 Contribution to the Profession awardee.

Chicora received a doctorate from Colorado State University in Educational Leadership and Human Resource Studies, a master’s degree in College Student Personnel with a concentration in LGBTQ services from the Florida State University, and a Bachelor of Science from East Carolina University.  Chicora’s research and teaching interests include the intersections of higher education policy and gender identity, as well as marine conservation and emergency management/crisis response.  Past presentations have focused on social and organizational change, gender identity and indigenous perspectives, policy development, multiethnic/queer identity, and access and equity.

Regarding their support of Atlanta Pride, Chicora shared a desire “to make a difference, and where I can, make things different.  My personal commitment is to be of service and to take action for the betterment of our communities.  We all have amazing gifts to contribute and those contributions are what make us so strong.”